British men 'among least romantic'

British men are some of the least romantic in the world, a new study by the
psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman claims.

7:00AM BST 15 Jul 2009

Researchers found that they are less likely to pay compliments, be inspired to write love poetry or take their loved ones away for surprise holidays than their foreign counterparts.

Instead, it is claimed that British men mistakenly believe that buying sexy lingerie and expensive gifts are the way to a woman's heart.

However, gestures such as running a lover a hot bath after a hard day, or treating them to a morning cup of tea in bed, are what women really want, the study suggests.

The findings come from a study of 6,500 men and women all over the world carried out by Prof Wiseman.

"Contrary to what many men believe, you do not have to spend large sums of money to woo a woman – it really is the thought that counts," he said.

"Women seem especially attracted to acts of escapism and surprise, whereas blatant displays of materialism, such as buying them sexy underwear or cosmetic surgery, scored very badly."

The study, carried out at the University of Hertfordshire, showed that 52 per cent of women said their partners had never run them a warm bath after a hard day while 45 per cent had never been offered a coat when shivering.

Fifty-three per cent had never experienced the thrill of being whisked away for an exciting weekend.

British men were up to 10 per cent less likely to make romantic gestures than men from other countries.

Only 32 per cent of British men had written a song or poem about their current partner, compared to 41 per cent of non-British men. Only 44 per cent had taken their partners on a surprise break, compared to 51 per cent of men overseas.

In a separate section of the study, Prof Wiseman discovered a disparity in how men and women ranked a series of romantic gifts or gestures.

"The men severely underestimated the romantic value of almost all the act. Men don't seem to realise the psychological impact of small romantic gestures.

"Women like them because they show men are into them and thinking of them rather than themselves."